An Elf's Fairy Tale: The Santa Claus Chronicles

This is a story of a day in the life of a little old man and his elves as told to a little boy by an elf during a by chance meeting. The elf told 26 tales in all, this is the first one. In the midst of an enchanted forest with mysterious waterfalls and gentle warm springs, stands the small cottage of a little old man and his wife. Warm vapors rise up and form clouds in this cold icy region that cloak the entire valley from the view above. Visiting the little old man this time of the year are industrious little elves that followed him from the Bavarian Alps long ago. It has been a long day of toy making and now at the day''s end, the aroma from the large pot of chocolate milk heating on the wood stove fills the cottage. As all the elves end their day''s work, the little old man is deep in thought as he sits on his workstool. He is one of the three Wise Men spoke of in the Bible, he delivered the first christmas gift to the christ child two thousand years ago. He is usually a jolly old soul, but this evening as the puffs of white smoke softly bellow out of the chimney, he worries about the poor children that will not be able to enjoy receiving the Christmas gifts he and the elves have labored to make. The little old woman walks to the edge of the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron. down the two steps from the kitchen, where she stands, the Great Room of papa''s workshop opens up before her. Her eyes twinkle as she observes the little old man quietly sitting on the tall stool. His short snowy white beard rest on his chest as his red cheeks glow from the heat of the nearby fire place. He has seen things that had changed him in such a way, that when he returned to the far east after seeing the Christ child that he gave away all his riches.

James Shannon Abney is an artist and an engineer that has spent his professional life designing buildings, bridges, cranes and chemical and mechanical systems followed by writing the specifications for the operation and maintenance with illustrated examples and instructions. He is a student of World History and the Bible. He assists his wife and daughter with their Hunter/Jumper Horse Riding Academy in Georgia where they train Show Horses and coach riders in Horse shows throughout the Southeast.